A diverse offering twixt the interesting, the unusual, and the amusing.

Tuesday, 29 May 2018

La Chasse.....Hunting.

I'm not here to defend or even attack hunting, just to present you with some figures.

It has now been announced that here in Périgord this winter's hunting season will be between 9 September, and 28 February.

The hunting authorities in our particular area have also given guidance as to the number of animals that can be shot.

Between 12,250 and 18,200 Wild Boar may be shot, and between 16,600 and 18,300 Roe Deer may be shot.

I'd never previously thought about the numbers of wild animals that were shot each year; it seems a lot.

Périgord is just one of about 95 similarly sized départments (counties) in France. I don't imagine that all have the same wildlife problems that we have, but even if half do (and they shoot the same amount) that's an awful lot of Deer and Boar.

'No Pheasant shooting'.

p.s. I no longer hunt, but I would like to make a plea to those who do. Please would you refrain from shooting any Pheasants or Red Deer for at least the next five years. Red Deer are such wonderful animals, and are becoming quite rare. In the UK Pheasants are regular garden birds, and I'd love to see that becoming the case here too. A simple five year amnesty would help them enormously.

The reason why I stopped was because there was nothing to shoot. Hunting was un-regulated then, and people would just go out and shoot anything that moved. Back in the UK you could always guarantee a Rabbit or some Pigeons; here there was nothing.

The hunting has just started in Germany. Five people were attacked and savaged at Munichs railway station by a Rottweiler. The beast from hell was shot by a policeman. It needed four bullets to kill it. I think a Rottweiler hunting season wouldn't be a bad thing. There was a case here where a police Rottweiler killed the officers 92 year old grandma. It was a veritable bloodbath.

All (potentially) vicious dogs should only be allowed after having applied for a 'very special' licence. I'm horrified by all the young thugs who walk around with Pit Bulls etc. They can turn on you in an instant; for no apparent reason.

I dare say the culling numbers vary from department to department. Culling is sensible management taking account of farming and environment. You can have some of our pheasants. We've got millions. And while you're at it, have all our badgers.

They certainly have to be culled, otherwise we'd be overrun. The only Pheasants we see are newly released. Having been raised in pens they have no idea what to do, and are shot on the ground. I do wish they'd stop.

As for Badgers, I see today that UK farmers will be paid £50 for each one they kill.

I know Chloe annoys you, Rachel. However, you can't really hold it against someone when they serve up facts. Another fact, and I know it's painful to admit, that some people really do know virtually everything - like my father.

Cro, quick question. Just now, in order to comment here, I had to set up a google/blogger account as you (and some other bloggers) now offer commenting only under Google rather than my own blog name (wordpress), name or anon. Is there any reason you may have changed your settings?

Thanks, Cro and Rachel, for addressing the Google account question. Most blogs I comment on are blogspot - some appear to automatically apply the update you are referring to; with others it still works as before.

I tried to resist signing up to a google account (they sure do ask a lot of questions). But what can you do when, like me, you want to participate in the big wide wild undergrowth of the blogging world? Taking a machete to it won't do, google et al having us over a barrel. I can't wait, once they have worked out my "profile", for the avalanche of advertising emails tailored to my "needs" as they see them. Little do they know that I have few needs. Never mind. As long as they don't call me Clive.

I don't wish to contradict you, Cro, re the French eating badger. Nevertheless, the French are famed for being willing to eat anything which once had a pulse. A reputation maybe not completely deserved. But then, in other countries too, people will eat roadkill (an idea which chimes in with my near evangelical zest for recycling but find vaguely nauseating in terms of the aesthetic of scraping the remnants of a rabbit off the tarmac) - whether they admit to it depends on how much they trust you and your ability to stomach some unpalatable truths.

Well not in favour of culling badgers, but the pheasant is the 'poor man's' peacock as it struts its stuff in gardens. Go into many a wood and the first thing you meet will be a pheasant rearing enclosure - for shooting of course.There is a boar problem in the Forest of Dean and their fate may result in shooting a certain number.

We breed pheasant here to shoot, of course, but I was surprised to hear that rabbits are in steep decline at the moment. After I heard this, it occurred to me that a few years ago I could not look into the field by my workshop without seeing loads on the fringes, and I haven't seen one this year. Strange. Muntjac deer are moving closer to town, and are bringing fatal disease with them that affect farm deer. Chronic Wasting Disease.

Rabbits are now a problem in the Outer Hebrides eroding the machair. After living in this house for 25 years I've recently seen my first rabbit in the garden eating my flowers. They used to be kept down by the mink as did the rats. Now the mink have been eradicated the others are taking over.

When we first bought this house the fields were full of partridge and pheasant. We would watch them fly up in the air and even walk down the road. They seem to have all disappeared. I'm not sure whether it is the hunters or predators. Quite often we hear a 'bang' or two at dusk even though it is not hunting season...except for goats

Do the boar and deer numbers need to be controlled? With those numbers, I expect so. Clean kills and no suffering, I hope. If like in Australia, we have made a wonderful environment for kangaroos, wild pigs, deer and all manner of pest species to thrive.

I once had a 2CV, and a pheasant flew into my windscreen, taking the wiper off with it. I spent a few minutes looking for both the pheasant and the wiper but no such luck. The next day, the windscreen completely shattered, on exactly the same spot on the road. Spooky.

Hunting - ah mixed feelings here. Married to the farmer who loved it but I always had a soft spot for the fox. Shoots in the winter - and I could never eat a pheasant even though we have never been short of them in the fields.

My daughter in law is a taxidermist and is awaiting hunting season. That's where her big money is. Fresh heads to mount or just the antlers. She still has several of last season's birds in the freezer to catch up on.

A good taxidermist is of great value to many hunters. One who worked locally, died recently. He had a backlog of five years worth of animals to be worked on. The mind boggles at how many freezers must have these animals waiting to be worked on.

My daughter in law did her apprenticeship with him and inherited some of her work from him. She specializes in small animals and birds.

Did I say that hunters in France eat badgers ? I just noticed that you supposed that badgers are the only animals shot and not eaten and that's definitely not true..nothing to do with "superiour knowledge" (cf. Miss Rachel) I only read about it.

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11 months ago

Optimistic Cro!

The difference between an optimist and a pessimist, is that the optimist enjoys himself whilst waiting for the inevitable! I AM that optimist!

This is a daily, optimistic, 'photos and comments' blog. I make no judgements (only occasionally), just notes. If you wish to comment in any way at all, please feel free. Everything and everyone is very welcome.

About Me

I was born just south of London, but for the past 45 years I've lived in S W France. I am a painter by profession, and writer by desire. Lady Magnon and I live in an ancient cottage, in a tiny village, in perfectly tranquil countryside. We have a vegetable garden called 'Haddock's' (this may crop up from time to time), a Border Collie/Black Lab' cross called Bok, a cat called Freddie, plenty of fruit trees, and a view that takes the breath away. I try to treat our planet with respect, and encourage others to do likewise (without preaching).
Contentment is a glass of red, a plate of charcuterie, and a slice of good country bread. Perfect!